Hawks Sign Damion James To 1-Year Non-Guaranteed Deal

The Atlanta Hawks have inked free agent small forward Damion James to a 1-year non-guaranteed deal that essentially is an invitation to training camp with the opportunity to compete for a final roster spot. James has spent his entire two-year career with the New Jersey Nets appearing in 32 games. Foot surgery slowed James progression and the Nets opted not to pick up his rookie option as they tried to clear salary cap space for free agency.

James was originally drafted by the Hawks in the 2010 NBA Draft and was quickly traded to the Nets in exchange for the rights to Jordan Crawford. He will seemingly compete with fellow training camp invitee James Anderson for a spot on the Hawks final roster.

According to his agent Mark Bartelstein, James is healthy and ready for another opportunity:

"I'm excited for the opportunity that Damion has to show people that kind of player he was going to be before the foot injury. He's healthy now, and this is an ideal situation for him in Atlanta."

An ideal situation the Hawks could be for James particularly if he can provide some quality defense from the wing position. Atlanta's roster makeover has left the team with a lack of small forwards. That is good news for players such as James and James Anderson.